Early risers spot rare 'night shining' clouds

Rare clouds that form in summer high up in the Earth's atmosphere have been seen from parts of Scotland.

BBC Weather Watchers who were up from between about 02:00 to 06:00 on Tuesday spotted the noctilucent clouds.

They have been seen in the skies above Edinburgh, Aberdeen and other locations across the country.

Their Latin name means "night shining" and the clouds usually appear as streaks of blue or silver.

The Met Office describes the clouds as "extremely rare" and they are formed by ice crystals at a height of at least 60,960m (200,000ft).

They appear on clear summer nights in a layer of the atmosphere known as the mesosphere.

The Met Office says that, like many other types of clouds, noctilucent clouds need water vapour, dust and low temperatures to form.

It says dust from small meteors could help the clouds form high in the mesosphere, but pollution from Earth could also be a contributing factor.